'Skyfall' Sam Mendes: 'I wasn't interested in directing The Avengers'

The Skyfall helmer revealed that he was sent a package by Marvel several years ago, but was put off the project as the studio had a release date and no script.

"The funniest letter I got - they were sending [a packet for] The Avengers, right? For directors to pitch - and I got a package, which was full of comic books, but no treatment; there was no script," Mendes told Moviefone.

"The cover letter said, 'Marvel's Avengers will be released on May 3, 2012', or whatever it was. That was the first sentence of the cover letter. Not, 'We have the pleasure of enclosing the materials...' or, 'Here is the script for...' but the release date. That was the first sentence."

Asked if he had any ambition to helm the superhero ensemble, Mendes responded: "No. I wasn't interested. I mean, that's not my world particularly.

"I'll go see it, particularly with my kids, but I didn't want to make it. But I was probably one of 50 that got sent it; they didn't target me specifically."

Skyfall, Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond, has already shattered box office records in the UK following its release on October 26. The film debuts on US IMAX screens today before expanding to traditional screens tomorrow (November 9).

Photo gallery - Skyfall in pictures:

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Daniel Craig as James Bond in the Macau casino scene from Skyfall.
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